IFRS vs ASPE Essay

Inventory is defined as â€Å"assets held for sale in the ordinary course of business, in the process of production for such sale, or in the form of materials or supplies to be consumed in the production process or in the rendering of services†. The cost of inventory is measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The IFRS accounting for inventory is generally converged with ASPE. The only difference between IFRES and ASPE in the accounting for inventory is with borrowing costs. Since some inventory products require significant manufacturing time (qualifying assets), a manufacturer will finance its operating costs by borrowing money. Under ASPE we can choose to capitalize borrowing costs relating to inventory that takes substantial time to get it ready for sale. In comparison with IFRS, borrowing costs associated with qualifying assets are capitalized. Financial Assets financial assets refer to any asset that is â€Å"cash, an equity instrument of another entity, a contractual right, a contract that will or may be settled in the entity’s own equity instruments†. The main differences between IFRS and ASPE exist for scope, classification, and measurement of financial assets. IFRS uses four categories of financial assets: fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL), held-to-maturity (HTM), loans and receivable, and available for sale. ASPE does not use the four categories to group the financial assets. Instead, investments are categorized by their nature: equity, debt, and derivatives. For the joint arrangements perspective, IFRS distinguishes joint operations from joint ventures and require proportionate consolidation for joint operations and the equity method for joint ventures. ASPE, on the other hand, does not distinguish between joint operations from joint ventures and uses the term joint venture to refer to both types of joint arrangements. ASPE allows the proportionate consolidaton, the equity method, and the cost method without any preference for any of them. Another difference between these two accounting standards is the accounting for available for sale investments. IFRS requires that available for sale investments be carried at fair value with unrealized gains or losses going through other comprehensive income, whereas in ASPE there is no concept of other comprehensive income. Portfolio equity investments (PEI) also need to be recorded at fair value in IFRS with the unrealized gains or losses recorded through net income if PEI is classified as held for trading and if classified available for sale unrealized gains or losses flow through other comprehensive income. In comparison with ASPE, equity investments quoted in active market are measured at fair value with gains or losses going through income. Equity investments not quoted in an active market should remain at cost, subject to impairment. Finally, investments in debt under IFRS may be classified as HFT, AFS, or HTM with an amortized cost method that uses the effective interest method. This is not the case under ASPE. ASPE uses both the effective interest method and the straight line method.

Ground Rules in the Classroom

â€Å"No group can work successfully without rules that govern interactions and behaviour† (Minton 2005). Ground rules in a classroom depends largely on the type and the length of the course and the ages, ability and life experiences of the group being taught. Ground rules need to be set out at the beginning of a course to establish what is expected from the learners in terms of behaviour and mutual respect of fellow learners and the teacher. A good tool to use to implement these rules would be an â€Å"ice breaker† whereby the teacher would ask the learners to write down their own ideas of the perfect learning environment for them; for example, a brainstorming activity. The learners could then share their ideas with their peers and through a general consensus come up with a list of rules they wish to implement in their classroom. The teacher would make the rules manageable, tailoring the rules according to the needs of the learners and so giving the learners ownership of their own rules. The teacher would support, motivate, encourage and persuade the learners. Adult learners will usually feel resentful and alienated if a teacher takes a command and control approach in their style of teaching. Behaviour and respect are mutually interlinked. Good teacher/learner relationships and peer relationships are based on mutual respect. The learner respects the teacher for their teaching skills, personal qualities, knowledge and professionalism and the teacher respects the learner as an individual and their attempts to learn. All rules underpin behaviour and respect for others as respect and behaviour are mutually inclusive. Overt behaviour comes from respect.

Admiration of Anne Bradstreets Essay

Admiration of Anne Broadsheets Essay Admiration of Anne Broadsheets values as compared to those of Ben Franklin and Jonathan Edwards The relationships that people have with others has a severe Impact on that persons life, albeit many are good, some, though, are bad. How we choose to form, maintain and use these relationships is up to us, Just as what they mean is up touts too. I will show the relationships of some writers and how they treat others, as an important value to me. Three writers of our era, Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, and Anne Broadsheet are most notable with their relationships with people.My thoughts on Benjamin Franklins work were unfortunately on the negative side. To sum his writings up, they were long, boring and not concise. His writing varied heavily. He was known for writing on one topic and then changing to another then skipping to yet another. The following paragraph is an excerpt of his writings to show the long, varied writings that changed from subject to subject: l have been the more particular in this Description of my Journey, and shall be so of my first Entry into that City, that you may in your mind compare such an unlikely Beginning with the Figure I have since made there. s In my working Dress, my best Clothes being to come round by sea. I was dirty from my Journey; my pockets were stuffs out with shirts and stockings; I knew no Soul, nor where to look for lodging. I was fatiguing Traveling, Rowing and Want of Rest. I was very hungry, and my whole stock of consolidated of a Dutch Dollar and and about a Shilling in Copper.The latter I gave the People of the Boat for my Passage, who at first refused it on Account of my Rowing; but I Insisted on their taking it, a Man being sometimes more generous when he has but a little Money than when he has plenty, perhaps hero the Fear of Being thought to have but a little. Then I walked up the Street gazing about, till near the Market House I met a boy with bread] (p. 241) Because of the skipping around, to often unrelated topics, it is very difficult to pay attention, read and keep straight as to what is Franklins point.One could almost call the style of writing a form of rambling. From Franklins work one is able to deduce that he is a good man with good Intention and is a upbeat and optimistic person but he doesnt really care for people and treats them Like object and tools. He basically uses people to get ahead and uses people for favors. For example he loves his brother, supposedly, but he used his brother to pay for his boarding so he could be out of the way and not cause problems for all the other is nth household. He does does have his faults with people, and that is he trusts people too much.He has too much faith in people and whether that is because of his deist ways, and how he looks at things in the world,and through reason. His trust In people and things often leads him Into small troubles. His drunken friend Collins borrowed much money from Franklin promising to pay it back. Of course, it was never paid back. If one recalls how Franklin got to America it was because of using the abilities and powers of see of his friends. Another point of the real problems that Franklin had with people and relationships is the entire relationship that he had with Miss Read.The only thing that he wanted from the marriage was some money from the parents. Franklin was give it to him he first suggested to mortgage the house, and when he knew that that wouldnt be done he basically left them and Miss Read. Jonathan Edwards looks on life as a chance to serve God. He serves God by working hard and not doing things that would be considered bad by a Puritan (IEEE. UN, drinking, dancing, and parties. ) He believes Just like other Puritans that life should be dedicated strictly to God.The main idea to understand from Puritans is that when they believe that they are beginning to understand the Bible, they are beginning to understand the Word of God. Understanding the word of God means to Puritans that God is dwelling within them, which then, in turn, means that they are one of the chosen few who are saved. In order to ensure that he is one of the few to be saved Edwards must demean others so that they get the idea that they arent saved and only Edwards is saved. The only thing that Edwards values early in his life is salvation. He must have salvation. He believes he has been saved too and he goes on to point this out: From the about that time I began to have a new kind of apprehensions and Ideas of Christ, and the works of redemption, and the glorious way of salvation Him. I had an inward, sweet sense of these things, that at timescale into my heart; and my souls led away in pleasant views and contemplations of them. And my mind was greatly engages to spend my time in reading and meditating in Christ, and the beauty and Excellency of his peers, and the lovely way of salvation, by free grace in Him. (p. 78) The writings in the bible he can now understand. The way he looks at nature and how his whole way of thinking has been changed proves in his mind and would in any other Puritans mind that the Lord is with him. When a Puritan sees that any of these things have happened he may begin to believe that he is saved. When Edwards looked around after knowing about his salvation all he he was able to see Edwards midlife was a transitional period. There in the was a corrupt sinners. Transitional period he learned about life and the dwelling of God in nature, in all things.He took notice to nature which eventually led, though prayer and meditation, to the newer Edwards who attempted to help people. His attitude toward them still remained basically the same but as one of the chosen he tried to save more people and to spread the word of God. The attempts to save people are most notably seen through the sermons that he gives, his most famous being the one entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Edwards later in his life changed a bit and he thought that he understood God and his will.What really changed is that he seemed to care, maybe even if it was Just a little, about his fellow man. Although he still went out and preached to people, gave his sermons and basically told people that they were worth very little and didnt really care about them, he was out there in the public trying to save them and to tell them that even though God can and should let us burn in hell he doesnt let us all go to hell, he does pick out a few who have been exceptionally well. Those few whom He has chosen are saved.The Edwards whole point in the sermons is to scare other people people and get them to mend their ways in some possible feeble attempt to achieve salvation. Anne Broadsheet while to perfect in her own right is the probably the most alike me. She values most the relationships in her life, but she has trouble with her relationships because of the writes: Thou speakeasys fair, but hats me sore, Thy flattering shows Ill trust MO more, How oft thy slave, hast thou me made, When I believed what thou hast said, And never had more cause of woe, Than when I did what thou bats do,(p. 28 ) It refers to the difficulties between the flesh and the spirit of her body. It said that the flesh had spoken highly of the spirit but her actions spoke much louder, and it was quite the opposite. Broadsheet values her relationships more but is confused because of her devotion to God. Her God who had given her everything can at any time take it away, and Broadsheet realizes this but cant help but be saddened. She looses a house and she can handle it because as she so eloquently put it Yet by His gift is made thin own; Theres wealth enough I need no more, Farewell, my pelf, farewell my store. (p. 33) She knows that all the things that she really needs are in heaven and that cant be taken away from her. The world no longer let me love, My hope and treasure lies above. (p. 134) Somewhat of a problem with Broadsheet is ere attachment with some of her acquaintances. She is really attached to her granddaughter for example. Breadbaskets relationships mean very much to her, and in the poem about the death of her granddaughter, Broadsheet shows her weakness with people and relationships Blest babe, why should I once bewail thy fate, or sigh thy days so soon were terminate, Sits thou art settled in an everlasting state. (p. 132). Yet regardless of what society thinks of Broadsheet or the relationships she still cherishes them with all her heart. I feel that Anne Broadsheet is most like me because I am all for the relationships in life. The relationships that I make and have are what make me. I dont treat people like objects and use them to get ahead in life. Nor do I Just hate people and think that everyone else is a corrupt individual out to make themselves look good in from of God.I am confused with my spiritual self Just like she is. And Just like broadsheet with the loss of her grandchild she was terribly sad, so am I with the move to college and my slowing communication with my old best group of friends. The relationships that people have with others has a severe impact on that persons life, albeit many are good, some, though, are bad. How we choose to form, maintain and use these relationships is up to us, Just as what they mean is up to us too. I will show the relationships of some writers and how they treat others, as an important value to me. Three writers of our era, Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, and Anne Broadsheet are most notable with their relationships with people. My thoughts on Benjamin Franklins work were unfortunately Beginning with the Figure I have since made there. I was in my working Dress, my it on Account of my Rowing; but I insisted on their taking it, a Man being sometimes gazing about, till near the Market House I met a boy with bread (p. 41) Because of good man with good intention and is a upbeat and optimistic person but he doesnt really care for people and treats them like object and tools. He basically uses people in the world,and through reason. His trust in people and things often leads him into willing to use Miss read for getting money from her parents. When they refuse to social pressure. For example in hint of difficulties in relationships can be seen as she time take it away, and Broadsheet realizes this but cant help but be saddened.

Reading summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading summaries - Essay Example For example, it could be said that teenage mothers are actually unhealthy in different aspects. Their present condition may be attributed to unaddressed dysfunctions in their emotional lives as well as family lives. Having emotional dysfunction then makes them more vulnerable to other dysfunctions in society that culminate in their making the wrong decision. According to Lupton (2012), different classes of women interpret the expectations of society in different ways. For women who have financial support, and are not unduly worried about making good salaries, they may welcome the advice to discipline their bodies and define any strictures as health-inducing. For women who have few resources, though, encouraging a discipline-based regiment will merely seem to be yet another additional burden that they have to bear. According to Macvarish (2010), teenage mothers will have a different definition of health that is based on their experiences in life. In the absence of a real depiction of what constitutes real health, they are more likely to define health as being a state of being that is defined by luck, and not any behaviors of self-preservation maintained on an individual’s

The expectancy theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The expectancy theory - Essay Example n’ a motivation do things to reach an objective would prove true if said person believes in the value of the goal and there is chance to reach that goal. If an employee under the direction of a manager could he motivated to do something set by the latter, if the said employee puts value on the outcome of his or efforts and believes that reaching the same outcome is attainable or probable. Vroom’s explanation of the expectancy theory can be reduced into an equation as follows: Force = valence x expectancy (Koontz & Weihrich, 2006). Force here would represent the strength of employee’s or subordinate’s motivation. Such force is a function of valence which equates with the strength of same employee’s preference for an outcome and expectancy as expressed in a probability that a certain action ultimately brings a desired outcome (Koontz & Weihrich, 2006). A manager would benefit much if he has knowledge that an employee is interested in outcome like prom otion or higher pay. A manager, in applying the theory can tie up the pay with a level of performance while meet organizational objectives. Given the connection, it would be easier for the manager to motivate the said employee to do tasks assigned in attaining the desired level of performance which could actually help the employee or subordinate to be promoted or have the higher pay. Indifferent and non-believing employees could not be motivated as there would be a zero and negative valence

Atoms of metals and LIDAR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Atoms of metals and LIDAR - Essay Example pag). LIDAR is a remote sensing technology that can measure distances or properties of a material by laser illumination (Sanderson n. pag.). Origin of metal atoms in the atmosphere Normally, meteoroids enter the Earth’s atmosphere between 11 to 72 kilometres per second. Friction between the meteor and air molecules in the upper atmosphere generates enough heat to disintegrate it to particles less than 1mm in diameter. These particles are deposited at an altitude of 70 to 140 km in the upper atmosphere (Von Zahn, Hoffner and McNeil, 149). McNeil, Lai and Murad acknowledged the fact that meteoric material is the most significant source of metal atoms in the upper atmosphere. However, the amount of metal atoms in the atmosphere differs from the amount present in the meteor itself. This is attributed to the process known as differential ablation. Differential ablation suggests that more volatile metals vaporize earlier than less volatile metal components in a meteorite. Comparison between sodium, magnesium, and calcium ablation revealed that sodium is the most volatile of the three elements. Thus, sodium ablates at a much higher altitude. On the other hand, calcium ablates at a much lower altitude. Therefore, the rate of conversion of elemental calcium into compounds in the lower atmosphere is the primary cause of calcium ion depletion (10899-10911). Aside from sodium, metallic atoms of potassium, lithium, calcium and iron make up the rest of the metal atom layer in the mesosphere. The discovery of other metal constituents started in 1973. Potassium ions detected through the use of ruby-laser-pumped dye laser components calibrated at 769.9 and 766.5 nanometres. Lithium ions were identified using a flashlamp-pumped dye laser calibrated at 670.8 nanometres with 800 millijoules output pulse energy. Calcium was detected with a dye laser calibrated at 422.7 nanometres (Abo 315). Thin layers of sodium, calcium and iron have been detected by LIDAR in the upper atmo sphere. These layers range from 100 metres to several kilometres thick and usually superimpose on a background layer 10 kilometres thick. Despite efforts to ascertain the origins of sporadic layers, no single scientific explanation was accepted (Clemesha 725). Chemical role of metal atoms in the atmosphere The formation of metal layers in the upper atmosphere has been instrumental in several vital atmospheric processes. Rapp and Thomas have confirmed the role of mesospheric metal layers in the formation of noctilucent clouds through the nucleation of ice particles in the upper atmosphere (715-744). Murphy, Thomson and Mahoney investigated the composition of aerosol particles in the stratosphere and discovered the existence of meteoric particles in stratospheric aerosol. Thus a link was suggested between mesospheric metal particles and the condensation of stratospheric sulphate aerosols (1664-1669). Atmospheric observation over the South Pole was initiated through LIDAR to measure th e seasonal variations of the mesospheric sodium and iron layer. The polar annual mean abundance is almost equal to mid-latitude readings while the mean centroid height is 100 metres higher for sodium and 450 metres higher for

Personal experience at a community healthcare facility Essay

Personal experience at a community healthcare facility - Essay Example It is at St. Cecilia Nursing Home that I got to internalize the concept of Gibbs Model in a practical way and in accordance with the tenets of the NMC guidelines (NMC 2008). Thus, the following essay is a reflective chronology of my practical experience at St. Cecilia with respect to ethical issues of informed consent, confidentiality, professional conduct, and empathy as well as respect and dignity for patients (see Appendix 1). Reflective Practice When I joined St. Cecilia as a student and assigned to Ward X (fictitious for purposes of confidentiality), I thought I knew everything ranging from protocol adherence to professional conduct. It seemed to me that I could work on my own and deliver the best services to the elderly patients afflicted with dementia. I wanted to exude confidence in my nursing skills and for the first time my attitude was a little rigid. What I did not actually think of was the fact that I was outside an ordinary classroom and that my work at St. Cecilia requ ired a great deal of teamwork, patience and commitment as postulated by Miranda and Best (2005, p.51) and Suzie (2001, p.1209). With time, the interaction with my patient (let us call him Uncle Richard) helped me develop the right momentum for doing the right thing through reflective nursing practice in accordance with the Gibbs Model of reflective practice as disused hereafter. My assignment in Ward X was to feed an elderly patient herein referred to as Uncle Richard (fictitious name). The patient was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease dementia. Clinically, this dementia is characterized by declining memory and inability to make sound judgment or concentration (Cormac et al. 2004). This type of dementia resulting from the Parkinson’s disease also affects the cognition ability of patients resulting in delusion, depression, irritability, sleep disturbances and anxiety. While my patient could hardly interpret visual information, his condition was also accompanied by muff le speech. To make it worse, the patient had a hearing problem, his right arm amputated and he was a poor eater. It was important to explain some nursing issues to the patient almost daily and at times it forced me to pester the patient for several minutes before he could accept to eat. In terms of describing my feelings in of the experiences in Ward X, it would be prudent to uphold honesty as highlighted in the Gibbs Model (Gibbs 1988). Initially, it was difficult feeding the patient and staying with him was a little boring because of his memory problems, muffled speech and irritability. The patient was troublesome when it comes to eating, and occasionally I felt pissed off. At some point, empathic seeing that the patient could not even interpret a picture of his favourite dish. Once in a while, the routines made felt inadequate and out of place having to deal with a patient that seemed so difficult. Forcing my patient to eat was not a viable option especially that he still reserve d the ethical right of patient autonomy (Cormac et al 2004, p.108; Guido 2006). It was however imperative to exercise some patience and understanding so as to cope with his condition and anxieties as required by NMC 2008. Learning to communicate with my patient was a breakthrough as time passed. Somehow, we became friends and the daily encounters with the patient became a normal practice after all. In his light moods, he would tell me a few things he could remember including a bit of his family life. Of course the stories were juggled up and some did not even make much sense. In some way, a few of his narrations were emotional and quite informative. For instance, one afternoon I felt remorseful when Uncle Richard told me how his wife abandoned him with a ten-year-old daughter

Case Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case - Research Paper Example The high costs associated with the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley prompts the clients (companies) to pay lesser fees to the audit firms as they try to mi9nimoize their total costs. Ethical issues may, therefore, arise. There is a significant variation in the amount of fees paid by General Electric to auditors before and after the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley. The comparison is therefore between the fees before (2000 and 2002) with those of (2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010). In the period between 2000 and 2002, all the fees paid by General Electric to Auditors (in millions), except the financial information systems fees took an upward trend. The audit fees increased by $14.8 while the audit-related fees and the tax fees increased by $7.8 and $7.4 respectively (textbooks.com). After the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley, the figures increased still but not uniformly as before. The audit fees and the audit related fees rose significantly between 2004 and 2008 and then dropped to in 2010. The increment is however not bigger than the change in the tax fees, which were reduced drastically after the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley. Taking a similar analysis for the Fortune 100 companies yields even more interesting comparison. There is no significant variation in the amount of fees paid by Fortune 100 companies to auditors before and after the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley. In the period between 2000 and 2002, all the fees paid by Fortune 100 companies to auditors (in millions), except the financial information systems fees take an upward trend. The audits fees increase by $1.0 while the audit-related fees and the tax fees increased by $1.9 and $3.4 respectively. As in the case General Electric, after the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley, the figures still increased (amazon.com). The increase here is more uniform and consistent unlike the case of General Electric. The audit fees

Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Reflective Report - Essay Example something and that the business they choose to give is going to be rewarded by an organisation that truly looks out for his or her own best interest. At the same time, the resources that any given business has to deploy are limited. As such, it is equally important that they understand all that they can about any individual supplier or business in their efforts to streamline costs, and maximise exposure and profitability. It is striking to consider the technology that is available today to meet the increasing demand for knowledge. This has much to do with the daily operations of a business, as customers want and require knowledge quickly and easily. They desire the business to be accessible to them, on their terms, and at their own skill level. I now better understand the nature of my potential in any future business endeavour. The natural objective and purpose behind this concept is to develop a way to organise and assimilate data in a user friendly way that both employee and customer can benefit from. This is easier said than done, but the process of developing customer and brand loyalty is at stake here. Through this experience, I have learned the nature of customer knowledge management and its various components. From a business perspective, a working knowledge of all the customer within an organisation helps a company stay competitive both locally and globally. It is apparent that customers are no longer by bound by physical and geographical location. It is often just as easy to do business with a company several continents away as it is to associate with a business right down the street. With this reality in mind, companies have begun to treat customer knowledge management processes with renew vigour and enthusiasm (Borges, 2007). This process also means that business today have opened up their doors across borders and they, themselves, are no longer necessarily constricted to time and space. Knowledge, if harnessed properly, enables a business

Why video games are Good Essay Example for Free

Why video games are Good Essay A kid plops down in front of the television and powers up his video game console. As he reaches for his controller, his mother has one point of view in her mind, more time wasted, another day wasted, video games rot my children’s brain. Or do they? Video games have a horrible stigma of â€Å"rotting our brain’s† because many believe that they are pumping our children’s minds with senseless violence and explicit content. Although many video games do include a substantial amount of violence, it comes second to the fact they can actually make you smarter according to many scientists and academics. They are seen to be good learning devices because of the problem solving and strategic thinking that is utilized to play video games. While there is obviously no substitute for classroom learning, video games can exercise the brain in many different ways. Most kids would rather pick up a joystick than pick up a textbook. Much to they’re unknowing they are exercising their brains. While traveling and discovering this exciting virtual world, they begin to figure out the rules and understand their goals in order beat the game and win. What might seem like a mindless zombie sitting on the couch for hours is actually someone solving a profuse amount of puzzles that are instilled in their video game. Someone playing a video game must solve and complete direct conflicts while keeping their overall goal in perspective. Playing a video game is similar to solving a science problem. Video gamers must come up with a hypothesis while trying to accomplish a goal, much like a student conducting a lab would do. For example: if a gamer is searching for a hidden item and they hypothesize that the item is in a dragon’s belly, they will attack the dragon and discover whether their hypothesis was correct or false. If they don’t find the item they must modify their hypothesis the next time they play. Video games are driven by goals and objectives, which are essential for learning. Scientific studies have shown that the brain can change with practice. If you train yourself to complete a certain objective, the part of you’re brain that you are using can actually growth in size and operation. Another scientific study has shown that those who constantly challenge their brain have almost a 50% less chance of developing dementia. Video games are all about interactive and active exploration, unlike leisurely reading a novel. A video game requires your brain to make immediate decisions. While reading a novel will exercise your creativity and imagination, video games will make your brain weigh circumstances and evidence, examine situations, reflect on your overall goal and forge a decision. It is not about what you’re thinking about when playing a video game, it is the way your thinking that challenges your brain. Video games make learning easier, comfortable, achievable and enjoyable. Any kid would rather learn how to slay a dragon than learn there times tables. This is simply because games offer more immediate and visible rewards. Memorizing and studying terms and theories may get you a good mark on your test, while beating the final boss will end the game. Gamers can also create their own adventure and decide their own unique fate and decided where they want to go and how they want to get there, within the restrictions of the game. It becomes their adventure. This is all played from the safety of their home, which prevents fears of making a mistake in front of others. If they lose, they can simply restart and try again without the feeling of embarrassment. This encourages gamers to take risks and expand their exploration opportunities. Although video games are no substitute for classroom learning, they have beneficial outcomes that can improve our brains activity making it healthier and function more efficiently. So next time you contemplate purchasing a video game, think about it not as endless hours waiting to be wasted, but rather as a large time investment for better of your mind.

History Of The Universal Music Group Media Essay

History Of The Universal Music Group Media Essay Universal Music Group is one of Big four companies in the music industry. UMG was founded in 1898, when the National Gramophone Company established the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft (Universal Music Group | Get In Media). The final name of the company, Universal, was introduced by Carl Laemmle in 1912, it was the year when the film studio came together with the music company. In 1924 the Music Corporation of America (MCA) was founded. The year 1958 was very important for Universal because MCA acquired the Universal Studios property and obtained Paramounts pre-1948 film library for its MCA TV division. The company was incorporated as MCA Inc. and it became a public company in 1959. Universal and MCA Inc. officially merged in 1962 after MCA acquired Decca Records. The main factor for Universal to get interested in concert locations and live entertainment promotions was because in 1972 Universal Amphitheatre had been opened. In 1999 the UM3 was launched, UM3 is a division of Universa l Music International that covers all areas of strategic catalog marketing outside North America. A significant fact for 2001 is that Universal formed exclusive distribution and worldwide licensing agreement with UMG. In 2002 the UMG achieved an industry milestone, and provided customers with more than 75000 download tracks. In 2003 UMG bought the rights on DreamWorks Records and collaborated with eBay to establish Universal Music Store. UMe Digital, an all-digital download label, was formed in 2004 through which UMG achieved a 43,07% market share for week-ending November 14th, the highest in Soundscan history. In 2008, 1 billion video streams have been delivered on YouTube by UMG. In the following year UMG created VEVO and the companies Sony and EMI joined VEVO. In 2011 UMG signed a global agreement for The Voice ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (History | Universal Music). The Universal Music Group is completely owned by the French media corporation Vivendi. In 2010, the UMG had 6967 employees. The turnover of UMG in 2010 cost $5584 million. Universal Music Group operates in 72 countries, including North American headquarters in Santa Monica and New York (Universal Music Group | Get In Media). UMG is involved in different types of media fields such as Film and Music. Every part has with his single productions a specified target group. The music column of UMG includes such a huge range of artists and genres that it is covering all types of target groups. Business customers of the UMG are distributors and companies from the same industry column. UMG sells its products and services in different ways. For instance, the company uses a network of subsidiaries, joint ventures and licensees (Universal Music Group, Inc.: Private Company Information Businessweek). UMG produces musical recordings which represent 70% of the income, and lyrics and musical scores which represent only 20% of the income. The companys products list also consists of the production of master recordings, the manufacture and packaging of CDs and the production of databases to distribute downloads of recordings. It is well-known that Universal Music Group works with different popular artists such as Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Chamillionaire, and The Black Eyed Peas. Music: EMI EMI Music is one of the worlds leading music companies, home to some of the most successful and most popular recording artists. http://cdn.pitchfork.com/news/44611/cacd3a76.png In 1887, Emile Berliner invented his Gramophone method of recording and reproducing sound using discs, a process that would modernize the way music was heard and experienced. The history of EMI starts at The Gramophone Company in London. Founded in 1897, the company took the lead in bringing together the new sound recording machines and musicians. In 1930, the Great Depression struck the recording industry. As a response, The Gramophone Company and the Columbia Graphophone Company agreed to a merger in 1931. The new firm was named Electric and Musical Industries (EMI). EMI also opened the worlds first custom-made recording studio at Abbey Road in London. Around 1950, EMI was the licensee for the major record companies RCA Victor and Columbia Records outside of North and south America. The license agreement between EMI and Columbia ended in 1952, EMI and RCA ended in 1957. EMI had to look for American artists by itself. In 1955 EMI bought Capitol Records, one of the largest US record companies. EMI increased its investment in UK while developing its list of American artists. In the 1960s British pop music exploded. With the success of The Beatles and other EMI artists, the company became the label of first choice for any ambitious British artist. The companys artist list was incredible during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974, EMI renamed their publishing operation to EMI Music Publishing. The late 1980s and early 1990s were a changing period for EMI. By the start of the 1990s the new CD format accounted for the majority of albums sold by EMI. In 1989 SBK Entertainment World was acquired, making EMI Music Publishing the acknowledged world leader. In 1990, EMI fully owned Chrysalis Records. In 1992, EMI bought the Virgin Music Group, at the time the largest independent music company in the world. In 1997 EMI established the EMI Music Sound Foundation to help support future generations of musicians. EMIs first websites went online in 1993 and 1994, and in 1998 EMI stre amed the first album over the internet. The following year EMI was the first company to publish a digital album download and in 2001 EMI launched the first video clip over the internet. In 2007 EMI became the first major music company to make its music accessible without digital rights management software and at a much higher sound quality than before. In 2011 EMI Music launched OpenEMI to connect directly with the tech developer community around the world. Today EMIs music is available to purchase digitally through hundreds of services around the world. (History | EMI Music) (Press, 1998) The owners of EMI are Universal Music Group and Sony/ATV Music Publishing. EMI has 515 employees in 2012 and is a private sector. (Half of EMI Publishings staff could go if Sony/ATV deal goes through | CMU: Complete Music Update, 2012) EMI provides products such as music, music-recording, music-publishing and music-retailing. The first shop EMI opened was in 1921, called HMV shop on Oxford Street in London. Nowadays, EMI owns 330 HMV music stores and Dillons bookstores. The most significant non-music product was the revolutionary new Computed Tomographic X-ray scanning device in 1972. In the year 1997 the company had 60 labels in 46 countries, including mainstream labels. The company had 17699 employees. The sales in 1997 have been $5.58 billion. Print: Bertelsmann Bertelsmann is an international media corporation and is a private company. They provide information, entertainment and media services, publishing and music. Bertelsmann wants to make a contribution to society and to become the leaders in the media-market. They mostly focus on their creative content and their relationship with their customers. Bertelsmann operates in 63 countries. http://www.arvato-russia.com/images/Bertelsmann_Logo_sRGB_orig.jpg C. Bertelsmann Verlag was founded in 1835, in Gà ¼tersloh Germany by Carl Bertelsmann. It first started as a publishing house and print shop which mainly focused on Christian songs and books. Later on, Carls son Heinrich started to publish novels in 1851. Business was going good for Bertelsmann Verlag and they slowly expanded during the following years. During the second world war, Bertelsmann had become the biggest producer of Nazi propaganda. In that period, they had published books by Nazi authors, for example Will Vesper and Hans Grimm. At the end of the war, publishing was closed for a while because of illegal paper-trading. In 1947, Reinhard Mohn re-founded the company. During the 1950s, the company was expanded with the book-club: Bertelsmann Lesserring. In 1958, they entered the music business with the LP label: Ariola Records. In 1964, they came into the movie market with the purchase of Ulfa Filmproduktionsgesellschaft. In 1973 Bertelsmann got the majority ownership of Gruner und Jahr-publishing, which produced magazines and newspapers. In 1979 Bertelsmann started to expand internationally. In that year they bought the American label: Arista and in the following years they bought Bantam Books, RCA Victor, houseDoubleday and Windham Hill Records. In 1996 Bertelsmann took full control of Windham Hill Records. During this per iod of time, the activities in the music business were bundled into the label BMG. From 1995 to 2000 Bertelsmann had an Internet service provider and started working together with AOL that worked all over Europe. In 1995 the Ufa Film- und Fernseh-GmbH fused with CLT, Luxembourg. The result was RTL Group, the biggest private radio and TV broadcaster in Europe. In 1998 Thomas Middelhoff became CEO of Bertelsmann. He purchased the Random House publishing house and focused on the groups worldwide book publishing operations. In 1999, Bertelsmann introduced bol.com. On October 1, 2008 Bertelsmann sold 50% of Sony BMG to Sony Corporation of America. Sony then renamed its fully owned music business to Sony Music Entertainment. These two withdrawals meant the end of the Bertelsmann Music Group department and the belongings that Bertelsmann wanted to keep from these sell-offs, will be the beginning of a upcoming BMG department, BMG Rights Management, which will concentrate on building, managi ng and marketing artist rights. (History Bertelsmann SE Co. KGaA) (Bertelsmann : definition of Bertelsmann and synonym of Bertelsmann (English)) On August 20, 2012, Bertelsmann changed its legal form from Bertelsmann AG to Bertelsmann SE Co. KGaA, a partnership limited by shares (KGaA). KGaA is a proven legal form for businesses owned by families or foundations that are widely used in Germany. Bertelsmann is for 77.4% owned by the Bertelsmann Foundation, a non-profit organization started by the Mohn family. The Mohn family holds the remaining 22.6% of the company. Bertelsmann has over 100.000 employees. Radio and Television: BBChttp://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb58377/bbc-sherlock/images/e/e4/BBC.jpg The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster and is the largest broadcaster in the world with around 23.000 employees and an income of  £5.086 billion in 2012. In 1922, BBC Ltd. was created by John Reith who became the first General Manager. From the first daily transmission from 2LO, first regular news bulletin, first outside broadcast, first daily weather forecast to the first edition of the Radio Times published, BBC managed to keep its worldwide fame and to develop. The most important period for BBC is the digital decade due to the fact that they had the opportunity to expand the company and to attract more customers. The BBC is a public service broadcaster that functions under a Royal Charter, a Licence and Agreement from the Home Secretary. The company has a large variety of products and services which come up to costumers expectations. For example, the BBC provides several television channels in the UK including two main channels (BBC One and BBC Two), some secondary channels (BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News, BBC Parliament) and two childrens channels (CBBC and CBeebies). Another valuable product offered by BBC is the Radio. Nowadays, the company holds ten national radio stations, six stations providing the BBC Regions and many others which cover the local regions in England. As a matter of fact five of the ten national stations are major labels and can be found on FM, DAB and online. They offer a large variety of musical genres such as new music and popular styles, country and soul music or classical and jazz music. The BBC Radio 5 Live is available 24 hours a day and provides people with news, sport and talk programs. BBC has the most important news channels in the entire world such as BBC News, BBC Parliament and BBC World News. BBC promotes the brand name of BBC Red Button which is an interactive digital television service. This service can be accessed from any BBC channel and it has different kinds of characteristics as full-color graphics, photographs and video. The company operates in many countries and regions. BBC has an US general entertainment channel which is co-owned with Discovery Networks, a Canadian general entertainment channel and a Canadian childrens programming channel which is co-owned with Shaw Media and a general entertainment channel available in Asia, Europe/Middle East, India, Latin America, Nordic, Poland and South Africa. The BBC Lifestyle channel can be seen in Poland, Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa and BBC Knowledge is available in Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Poland, Scandinavia, Singapore and South Africa. Apart from this, the BBC Company created several news channels in different languages such as Persian, Dari and Tajik. Naturally, some radio stations from BBC can be found in USA, Canada, Scotland and England. BBC operates worldwide and it has a great influence in the world of Radio and Television. BBC sells its products in the entire world through their own organization which is called BBC Worldwide. BBC provides products for both business customers and private customers. Many companies from different countries buy products from BBC. BBC Worldwide Consumer Products distributes the BBCs products through DVD, Blu-Ray and DTO. The private customers consists of children, teenagers and adults. New Media: Twitterhttps://si0.twimg.com/a/1350072692/images/resources/twitter-bird-callout.png Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news about what you find interesting. Twitter is a social network and in the internet industry. (About Twitter) Twitter was created by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone and launched on 15 July 2006. In March 2008, Twitter registered 1.3 million users. In September 2011, Twitter counted 200 million users, of which were 100 million active users who log in once a month, and 50 million active users who log in every day. In April 2010, The companys first advertising platform is introduced, also called Promoted Tweets. The first promoted Tweet was by Advertising Age. In June 2010, Promoted Trends is launched. In October 2010, Promoted Accounts went live, and is based on Suggestions for You. (Buck, 2011) The founders of Twitter are also the owners. Twitter counts 900+ employees in 2012. Twitter is a private company and operates worldwide. Twitter is available on computers, tablets, and on mobile devices. Twitter connects businesses to customers in real time-and businesses use Twitter to quickly share information with people interested in their products and services, gather real-time market intelligence and feedback, and build relationships with customers, partners and influencers. (About Twitter) Film: 20th Century Fox It all started in 1915, FOX Film Corporation was formed by the theater chain developer William G Fox, as a combination of his two companies Greater New York Film Rental and Fox Office Attractions company. De Luxe formed the film and camera department for the studios. Thomas Dixon moved to Los Angeles to setup Dixon Studios, Laboratory and Press. In 1917 FOX sent a representative to Hollywood with the idea to start business at the West coast. The development started at the Dixon studios, which is situated in East Hollywood at Sunset and Western, it was Foxs base for the time between 1917 to 1924. In 1925, Fox bought the rights to the movie tone sound system, which became Fox Movie tone. With the luck and success of Jazz in 1927 William Fox hurried construction of state-of-the-art soundstages. In 1929 through the market crash Fox film, with more than 500 theaters, got into bankruptcy (Century City Chamber of Commerce | History of Century City).http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR UtQP24ID5fwEoYfehkSPcsUcE46tnoWJe_nw7peFEcTaw3iOGBAhnBZsY In the year 1935, the companies Greater New York Film rental and FOX office attractions Co. merged with the 20th century pictures and established the company 20th century FOX (20th Century Fox | ÃÅ"ber Fox). The company is established on 31 May 1935. Since then, the 20th century Fox produced and conferred Films in North America. Noticeable is also the 20th Century Fox Logo which was created in 1935. The fact that the logo is created in the same year as the company established, shows that the company identifies itself with its history (Century City Chamber of Commerce | History of Century City). In February 1953, Fox bought the right of a new projection system called CinemaScope, the company announced that all Fox pictures would be made in this process. The project included also a new CinemaScope anamorphic lens which was added to the front of the projector at the same time wider screens had to be installed, that year shows that the company was always keen to invest and trust new technology (Home | 20th Century Fox Studios). In 1956 Mr Zanuck F. announced his resignation as head of production. In 1961 the management changed, Darryl F. Zanuck was appointed as chairman and his son Richard Zanuck took on the role of president. At that time a series of cheap but popular movies were made, they brought Fox back to the position being a major player. The year 1965 was surprising for 20th century Fox. The Sound of Music, which increased the studios fortunes, rescued the company and became an all-time greatest box-office hit. In 1971 Mr Zanuck left the position as a chairman and a few bad years followed resulting in some losses. The new president in 1972 was Dennis Stanfill, he came together with Alan Ladd Jr. and they got Fox back on track. The year 1977 was the year of Star Wars, one of the most popular movies of Fox. In 1978 the control of the company passed to investors Marc Rich and Marvin Davis. The company grew and expended very fast, in the 1980s Mr Rupert Murdoch integrated the company to the News Corpora tion which gave the company a huge financial support and opened new doors worldwide. The company started to concentrate on three main points; the home entertainment, cinema, and the TV industry. These three points together are the FOX Film Entertainment Group. Since 2006 the company is the worldwide video distributor for the MGM/UA library. 20th Century Pictures is an independent Hollywood film production company established by Joseph Schenck in the year 1933. The company is still based in Los Angeles and has these days two other bigger main branches, Sydney Australia and Baja Mexico (Century City Chamber of Commerce | History of Century City). 20th century FOX is one of the big 6 Film production companies on our planet, the company it has establishments in more than 80 countries. Since 1985 the company is a subsidiaries of the News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch is the head and owner of 20th Century Fox. The produced Films, TV-shows and Music are making the company distinctive. To give a quick survey of how much 20th Century Fox has only gained by North American box offices the following application is added. (Statistics on 20th century fox | Statista) Chapter 2: Macro Environment Chapter 3: New Product/Service Chapter 4: Company Visitshttp://www.kpn.com/v2/upload/8eb06cd9-527d-433d-ad53-4f62e84844c0_image88.jpg FARC chose Spotify as a new product, which is described in chapter 3. FARC chose two companies to visit, which are called KPN and Hi!, because Hi! is a part of KPN and they are both involved with Spotify in the same way. KPN is the top telecommunications and IT service provider in The Netherlands, offering wire line and wireless telephony, internet and TV to customers. KPN operates in the ICT and Telecom sector. The history of KPN starts in 1852, when the government constructed telegraph lines which it intended to operate itself. The first independent company was established in 1893: the Post and Telegraph Administration (PT). In 1915, the Post and Telegraph Administration became a state-owned company. This meant that the government and parliament could have greater insight into the financial situation of what was still popularly called PT. The first world war caused cutback measures for PT and in response the government changed the name to The Netherlands Postal and Telecommunications Services (PTT). At the beginning of 1941, the German occupying forced granted the PTT co rporate rights, but in practice there was no question of freedom. Because of the war, the PTT came to a standstill. There wasnt enough personnel available to keep the service running. In 1955, the PTT became a state-controlled company again. On 1 January 1989, PTT became Koninklijke PTT Nederland (KPN). With the emergence of Internet and e-mail in 1998, the PTT Post and PTT Telecom started to drift apart and split up in the same year. PTT Telecom became KPN. KPN won the International GTB (Global Telecoms Business) Innovation Award in September 2007 for the innovative strength of its new fiber-optic network. Nowadays, everything is oriented to improving quality, service and technique, so as to become the best service provider and to strengthen the companys market position in the Netherlands. (History KPN)http://www.kpn.com/v2/upload/20b9646e-7f9b-4e47-8810-bb3d1d568a05_kpn-rest.jpg KPN counted 31.084 employees in the Netherlands in December 2011. KPN is a big company because it operates internationally with different brands (Kernfeiten KPN). Under Section 6, Part 4 of Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code, the procedures for large companies are obligatory for KPN. As such, KPN has a two-tier management structure with a Board of Management and a Supervisory Board. KPN was privatized in 1989. (Juridische structuur KPN) KPN offers an All-in-one Standard bundle, which provides fast internet, telephone and television, and free Spotify Premium. KPN also has a telephone subscription service where they offer Spotify Premium with 500MB for à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10,00 extra a month, and the first three months are free. KPN produces the products and services: landline, mobile telephony, internet, and digital television. Spotify is an additional service to the existing supplies mobile telephony and the internet. It is not yet known how long the Spotify deal will be provided or if the Spotify deal will be offered in the future. Chapter 5: Summary and Conclusions

Apartheid, Globalization, and South Africa Essay -- Outsourcing, Offsho

Introduction In 1991 President Frederik Willem de Klerk of South Africa succumbed to the pressures of international economic sanctions, officially repealed the apartheid laws and called for the drafting of a new constitution. Just three years later, Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa in the country’s first multi-racial election. Apartheid’s end may never have come, however, were it not for the improved efficiency of communication between states, the increased economic interdependency between those states, and the emergence of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that make national borders all but invisible and chip away at Westphalian sovereignty. The existence of such factors allowed for International Organizations (IOs) such as the United Nations to call state governments’ attention to the crimes against humanity committed in South Africa each day, and it allowed those governments to act effectively. Yet the Black, Coloured, and Asian pe ople of South Africa are not singing globalization’s praises. In point of fact, historically globalization has done far more harm than good to the natives of South Africa. Globalization is by no means a fundamentally new phenomena but rather a thickening of preexisting networks of interdependence. (Keohane and Nye 2000). After the industrial revolution in Europe and the surge in international trade in the mid 1800s globalization soon took hold of South Africa. The discovery of diamonds in the territory in approximately 1900 increased the land’s value significantly as it could be exploited by the colonists to generate substantial monetary gains. Following the Boer War with English invaders thirsty to share in the profits of the mineral rich land, the ... ...tiglitz suggests, the supranationals need to remove conditionality from their loan agreements and pay closer attention to the domestic needs of the countries they aim to help. Superpowers like the United States need to practice what they preach, and stop protecting their own markets while plundering others. (Stiglitz, 2001) Only this fused effort of dedication and hard work by the ANC with increased aid from IOs based on less one-sided terms will pave the way to sustainable equality in South Africa. The plateauing environmental degradation is an example of this process. In this case, South Africa observed a shift from sharp degradation to the â€Å"sustainable development† they sought. Sovereignty has been all but lost in South Africa in the past decade, and its people and land suffered. Its gradual restoration will pave the way to recovery and eventual prosperity. Apartheid, Globalization, and South Africa Essay -- Outsourcing, Offsho Introduction In 1991 President Frederik Willem de Klerk of South Africa succumbed to the pressures of international economic sanctions, officially repealed the apartheid laws and called for the drafting of a new constitution. Just three years later, Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa in the country’s first multi-racial election. Apartheid’s end may never have come, however, were it not for the improved efficiency of communication between states, the increased economic interdependency between those states, and the emergence of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that make national borders all but invisible and chip away at Westphalian sovereignty. The existence of such factors allowed for International Organizations (IOs) such as the United Nations to call state governments’ attention to the crimes against humanity committed in South Africa each day, and it allowed those governments to act effectively. Yet the Black, Coloured, and Asian pe ople of South Africa are not singing globalization’s praises. In point of fact, historically globalization has done far more harm than good to the natives of South Africa. Globalization is by no means a fundamentally new phenomena but rather a thickening of preexisting networks of interdependence. (Keohane and Nye 2000). After the industrial revolution in Europe and the surge in international trade in the mid 1800s globalization soon took hold of South Africa. The discovery of diamonds in the territory in approximately 1900 increased the land’s value significantly as it could be exploited by the colonists to generate substantial monetary gains. Following the Boer War with English invaders thirsty to share in the profits of the mineral rich land, the ... ...tiglitz suggests, the supranationals need to remove conditionality from their loan agreements and pay closer attention to the domestic needs of the countries they aim to help. Superpowers like the United States need to practice what they preach, and stop protecting their own markets while plundering others. (Stiglitz, 2001) Only this fused effort of dedication and hard work by the ANC with increased aid from IOs based on less one-sided terms will pave the way to sustainable equality in South Africa. The plateauing environmental degradation is an example of this process. In this case, South Africa observed a shift from sharp degradation to the â€Å"sustainable development† they sought. Sovereignty has been all but lost in South Africa in the past decade, and its people and land suffered. Its gradual restoration will pave the way to recovery and eventual prosperity.

Human Trafficking Essay -- Legal Issues, Human Rights

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 was created to prevent human trafficking, to protect the victims of human trafficking, and to prosecute traffickers. Although it was well crafted, the TVPA is ineffective in achieving its purpose. Since its enactment, only a small percentage of victims have received help, and the prevalence of human trafficking in the U.S. has not decreased. In fact, human trafficking may be on the rise in Arkansas. Therefore, although amending the TVPA would make more people eligible for social services, not amending the TVPA would be an act of support towards organized crime, the spread of diseases like AIDS and TB, and modern slavery. Before the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 was enacted, traffickers were only punished for â€Å"the components of the offense† (Lack 156). The TVPA aimed to prevent human trafficking by funding programs that would educate the public about this issue. In order to protect the victims, the law established the T-visa program. This allows victims â€Å"to become temporary residents of the U.S.† (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services 1). Victims that have been certified ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬those who have proved that they are victims of human trafficking, assisted in the prosecution of their traffickers, and received their T-visas—are eligible for social services. The TVPA also made harsher punishments for human traffickers. For example, traffickers who attempted to murder, kidnap, or sexually abuse their victims could be sent to prison for life (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services 2). Sexual exploitation of children under 14 could also result in a life sentence. In addition, the TVPA â€Å"broadened the definition of coercion,† by including both physical and psychological coercion (La... ...activities† (FBI 1). This shows that Arkansas cannot be overlooked when trying to prevent human trafficking. Although it is not highly prevalent, it is still possible that human trafficking has infiltrated Arkansas. Maybe traffickers are just rarely brought to light here. Local authorities may not be as familiar with this issue because it has not been a problem in the past. The products of human trafficking cannot be ignored. Human rights are being violated, diseases are being transmitted, and the current laws are ineffective in preventing human trafficking and protecting its victims. Although there are many victims now, it may increase exponentially in the future, creating bigger problems. Before the number of victims increase and before more people start to lose faith in the U.S. government, it is imminent that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act be amended.

A Psychoanalytic Approach to Wuthering Heights Essay -- Emily Bronte

A Psychoanalytic Approach to Wuthering Heights Before anything else, I would like to talk about the nature of the principle characters of this novel. I’d like to start with Catherine as she seems to be the central character of this love story. Of course the latter is my personal assumption. Catherine is the very representative of nature and naturalism. From the first chapters of novel and Mrs. Dean’s great and elaborate account of Catherine, we encounter the portrayal of wild nature represented by the moor. Totally intractable and precarious in nature, the moor is the most appropriate identifier of Catherine’s character. In fact, her childhood interest in the moor leads us to the conclusion that she has no touch of reason till the time she is prohibited by her sister-in-law and brother after her five-week stay at Lintons’. Interestingly, she takes her playmate, Heathcliff, to the moor to spend the joyful private time with him and this is the very foreshadow that prognosticates Heathcliff’s later confusions and sufferings as a result of her precarious and wild nature. However, Heathcliff himself has no sheer difference in character with her regarding naturalism. Ironically enough, he never undergoes any obligatory changes to abandon such a character and on the contrary he is inspired by tyrannical treatment from Hindley to assume his naturalism. Based on these assumptions we can conclude that these two lovers are the representatives of id in this novel. They act upon every impulse without any contemplations or control of wild passion. To cut the long story short, they act as their unconscious bids them to do. They are not alone in this aspect as Hindley also joins them in this characteristic in a different manner. As a result of... ...ly it was so for Catherine. It reminds me of the closing line of Shakespeare’s poem, â€Å"She should have died hereafter†, in which the poet concludes his marvelous poem by an identical tone: signifying nothing. Using two short syllables which reminds me of the hectic life of Catherine and her hasty decisions and actions based on her id which lead her with a drastic velocity to the point of her second ailment. The concluding syllable of the first word which is long portrays the anguish that both Catherine and her surroundings were undergoing during her disposition. And finally two abrupt and short syllables of the last word, nothing, represents the abruptness and quickness of her death which was all in all signifying nothing. Mrs. Dean’s aptly chosen words paraphrase the last line of this poem in a more tangible manner: â€Å"One little pulse at her heart, and nothing more.†

Bread Baking an American Pasttime

Baking bread at home can be both fun and rewarding. There is no better way to create a wholesome and welcoming atmosphere than by baking a fresh loaf of milk bread or having guest walk into a room that smells of cooling banana bread. Although bread making has been a part of American culture for centuries today’s fast paced lifestyles has all but eliminated the art of making breads at home. However, it only takes a little flour and some kitchen know-how to revive this tradition for domestic excellence. There are two main types of breads, yeast breads and quick breads.Yeast breads are the airy, light and fluffy breads that are used for sandwiches and dinner rolls. Quick breads generally have fruit or nuts in them and have a denser composition. One of the easiest and most rewarding types of yeast bread is milk bread. Milk bread is a great place for the novice bread maker to start. It is easy and only requires milk, flour, salt, sugar and yeast, (All Recipes, n. d. ). In addition to the simple ingredients as the baker gains experience variations on this recipe can be made to include various cheeses, herbs or grains.Another type of yeast bread that has become a staple in kitchens across America is a simple country French bread. This bread is often long and crusty and it goes great with soups or dishes with heavy sauces. Country French bread takes more time than milk bread but by using recipes similar to the one listed on www. breadworld. com, bread makers both professionals and beginners can produce the flaky classic. Other types of breads that can be made at home include quick breads.These breads are called quick breads because they do not require the time that yeast breads need to rise. Common quick breads include banana bread, apple date bread or sour dough. Find amateur recipes for these breads at www. thejoykitchen. com. References All Recipes (n. d. ). Milk Bread. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from www. allrecipes. com Fleischman’s Rapid Rise Yeast (n . d. ). Country French Bread. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from www. breadworld. com The Joy of Cooking Cookbook (n. d. ). Quick Breads. Retrieved April 06, 2009, from www. thejoykitchen. com

Blue Nile, Inc. Essay

Vision and Mission â€Å"Blue Nile’s vision is to educate its customer base so that customers can make an informed, confident decision no matter what event they are celebrating. It wants to make the entire diamond-buying process easy and hassle-free. In addition, an important part of Blue Nile’s vision as CEO Diane Irvine said in a recent webinar with Kaihan Krippendorf, is for the company to be seen as the â€Å"smart† way to buy diamonds, while saving 20%-40% more than one would in the typical jewelry store.† (Hoffman, 2010, p.1). Objectives The objective of the case study of Blue Nile is to evaluate and study their current business strategy. Internal and external analysis are used to identify the weak points or aspects of their current strategy. Other courses of action will be identified to improve the implementation of Blue Nile’s strategy. Alternatives will be recommended to increase the brand name for Blue Nile. External and Internal Analysis Porter’s Five Forces Model Rivalry among Competing Sellers. Rivalry among competing sellers is the strongest among the five sources of Porter’s Model. There are many competitors in today’s diamond market. This makes the rivalry between Blue Nile and its competitor’s high. There are small mom and pop shops, the larger retain stores like Tiffany and Co. and DeBeers. Blue Nile is faced with other online competitors like themselves as well as websites such as EBay and Amazon. The competition is extremely intense to gain customer base. With all the competition each company must be able to offer their customer something they cannot find with any of the others. Bargaining Power of Buyers. The Bargaining power of the buyer is high in the diamond purchasing world. The bargaining power for the buyer with Blue Nile is medium because customers are able to see the price of their desired purchase  and shop around to find a better price or deal. Switching cost for the customer is virtually none existen t because they can switch to another company if they do not like the price, customer service, or other things associated with their purchase. The benefit Blue Nile has over the bargaining power of the buyer is they have prices set below their competitors with the same great quality. Bargaining Power of Suppliers. There are only a limited number of suppliers for Blue Nile to choose from, making the bargaining power of the supplier high. Blue Nile must depend on their suppliers to deliver their products in a timely manner in order to provide timely delivery to their customers. Suppliers are able to dictate their prices to Blue Nile because of the limited amount of suppliers. Blue Nile cannot accept prices from one supplier that supplier can easily find another company to sell to. Threat of Substitute Products. There is a threat of substitute product for Blue Nile. The threat falls into the medium category because other substitutes do exist. Some substitutes are diamonique, cubic zirconia, or other artificially made diamonds. Some people will choose a substitute as they cannot afford to purchase and expensive diamond. Even though the quality is not the same as a real diamond many people still choose the substitute. Threats of New Entrants. There is an increase of new entrants as it is now easier than ever before to enter the diamond market. In the past the startup cost was extremely high making the entrance of new companies low. It is easier for new entrants today because the availability of the internet to reach customers. Also, the startup is low in online business. SWOT Analysis Blue Nile has a strong position in the market because they have continued to gain confidence with their consumer. Being the largest online dealer in the world helps them to maintain their position in the market. Unfortunately, Blue Nile is facing threats and weaknesses that can deteriorate their market position. The increasing competition from other companies as well as their weak brand recognition are a major cause for concern. Strengths Blue Nile is the leader in online jewelry making. They have a unique selling position as they were the first company to allow an individual to customize their diamond engagement ring. Customers are able to choose and design their own ring with options such as clarity, size and the shape of the diamond. Customers can also choose from many settings for their engagement ring. Customer service is a priority to Blue Nile. They offer their customers a personalized experience to build customer confidence. Many options are made available to their customers through their website. Customers can choose from toll-free calls, live-chat, or email as a means to contact customer service. Convenient billing and insurance options are other ways that Blue Nile strives to provide excellent service to their customers. Customers are offered a bill me later option as well as a 30-day money back guarantee. All orders are shipped to their customer fully insured to build customer confidence in Blue Nile. With as many as forty suppliers Blue Nile has the capability to maintain a unique supply chain model. They maintain strong relationships with their suppliers. Their diamonds are offered for direct sale from their cutters. This allows Blue Nile to purchase stones at a lower cost than the competition because they avoid the mark-up from third-parties. Their virtual online inventory permits them to have limited inventory on hand, therefore decreasing their carrying cost. Weaknesses Blue Nile does not have a physical store which takes away from the experience of touching and seeing the actual engagement ring that will be purchased. A diamond engagement ring is a large investment. When customers purchase a diamond online they are taking a risk at purchasing a diamond without being able to examine or actually touch their ring. This risk causes the purchase prices to be lower than those purchased in a physical store. Customers are more comfortable purchasing a more expensive ring from brand name stores like Tiffany and Co. Customers are also more confident in their online purchase with Tiffany and Co. because they have a physical store and the popularity of the Tiffany and Co. brand name. Although Blue Nile is continuing to grow and their business model appears to  be strong they still need to increase awareness of their brand name. The lack of brand awareness gives other competitors such as Tiffany and Co an advantage over Blue Nile. They need to create more ways to bring recognition to their brand name. Customers will not feel secure purchasing a large purchase from a brand they do not recognize. Increasing their brand name will give Blue Nile an increase in sales as well as increased customer confidence. Opportunities Sales for Blue Nile mostly focus on diamond engagement rings. Men are mostly the target for purchases of engagement rings. Blue Nile can increase their sales and their target market by branching out into other jewelry products. A broader product base can open up their target market to woman also. Branching out with a physical store front can also increase Blue Nile’s sales and brand recognition. Having a chain of physical stores will give those customers an opportunity to purchase from Blue Nile who otherwise would not purchase because of the risk of making this type of purchase online. Sales would increase because customers tend to spend more per purchase when visiting a physical store as it reduces the perceived risk of the customer. Globalization is a huge opportunity for Blue Nile. This would open up a vast amount of sales and will expand their brand name by offering their products internationally. The international market is an attractive opportunity for Blue Nile to broaden their customer base. Competitors such as Tiffany and Co have already tapped into the international market so for Blue Nile to remain competitive they must seek to globalize their business. Currently only thirteen percent of sales are from the international market. Threats The increasing cost of diamonds is having an impact on profitability for Blue Nile. They have a virtual inventory, meaning they purchase their diamonds at the current spot rate. When the price of diamonds is increasing this puts Blue Nile at a disadvantage because most competitors will have  purchased their diamonds at a much lower price because they have them in their current inventory. In order to keep prices competitive Blue Nile most likely will absorb the cost of the increase in the diamonds. Blue Nile’s main threat is the competition of other companies such as Tiffany and Co and DeBeers. Tiffany and Co. is the biggest threat to Blue Nile as they are famous for their diamond engagement rings, making their target market mostly men. The famous brand of Tiffany and Co makes it a very desirable choice for those men seeking to purchase an engagement ring. Many of Blue Nile’s competitors also offer many of the same benefits as a purchase from Blue Nile. Customer service, experts to assist in the purchase, and return policies offering customer satisfaction have become a norm among most competitors. Many other online jewelry companies are entering the market for online jewelry purchases. They should continue to monitor the new companies entering the market. The threat of new entrants is an area that they must continually be aware of because letting their guard down could cause them to lose market. Because of these threats, Blue Nile must continue to strive to rise above the competition. Problem Identification Given that Blue Nile has competitor’s that threaten to capture the customer base, what can Blue Nile do to capture additional customer base?  Given that Blue Nile needs to increase sales and tap into a different market, what can Blue Nile do to increase sales and brand awareness? Solutions To attract additional customer base Blue Nile should create additional products to attract the female customer base. Blue Nile should offer bracelets,necklaces, and other items that would broaden their customer base. As of now mostly younger men have the need to purchase an engagement ring. By offering additional products their customer base could grow to also include older men as well as females. Opening up their market to this additional customer base can increase their sales significantly. In order to increase sales and brand awareness Blue Nile should look at two solutions. The first is to open a chain of brick and mortar stores as  customers tend to enjoy the hands on experience of purchasing expensive jewelry from a physical store. Customers tend to spend more per purchase at a physical location. This would increase both sales and brand awareness. Expanding their merchandise line in other countries would also increase their customer base. Blue Nile should use their same strategy of providing diamond jewelry to the international markets. References Wheelen, T., Hunger, J., Hoffman, A., & Bamford, C. (2014). Blue Nile, Inc. Case Study 10. In Strategic Management and Business Policy (14th ed., pp. 10.1-10.16). Boston: Pearson.

Airport Security: the Post 9/11 Age

Airport Security: The Post 9/11 Age Airport security in the world we live in today is drastically different then the security we knew before the events of September 11, 2001, when four passenger airliners were high-jacked over the skies of the United States, causing a global terror pandemic that still has long lasting effects today. We will look at, discuss and break down some of the key features of airport security in Canada as well as the United States, that have been improved, as well as certain security programs and features which were freshly implemented as a direct result.We will discuss â€Å"no-fly lists,† personnel training and armament, and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority or â€Å"CATSA,† including their security screening techniques and procedures (screening, responsibilities, Air Marshalls). The â€Å"No-Fly List† was created shortly after the events of 9/11, by the United States government’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC). The list includes the names of people who are deemed unsafe, or a threat to Airline security and are no longer permitted to board a commercial airline for the purpose of travel coming in or out of the United States.The list now contains roughly 10,000 names (2011), the number people on the list fluctuates based on threat, and intelligence reporting. Canada also has a similar list called the â€Å"Passenger Protect,† a similar initiative to that of the United States list, implemented on June 18, 2007 in order to identify people who could be a threat to the security of aviation, and prevent them from boarding Canadian domestic flights as well as International flights to or from Canada.The Passenger Protect program has two main parts: a set of â€Å"Identity Screening Regulations† which requires all passengers 18 years of age and older to present a valid form of government-issued Identification in order to board a flight, as well as a â€Å"Specified Persons List† whic h has a name, birth date, and gender of the individuals believed to pose a security threat. The list contains roughly 1,250 names. Individuals who have been denied boarding and are in fact on the list can submit an appeal to a branch of Transport Canada, called the Office of Reconsideration.The program works by the government supplying the Specified Persons List to Airlines, who then compare names of people on the list with individuals who intend on boarding flights. When the airline finds a name match, they then reference the individual’s government-issued identification to confirm. The identification is then once more confirmed in person at the airport check-in area, when a confirmation has been established Transport Canada is immediately notified.Training is also provided by Transport Canada to the airlines to teach staff and agents how to implement the ID verification process, and establish procedures to ensure the rights of the passengers are respected. Of course with a system like this, controversy is brought up by civil liberty organizations citing their concerns for civil liberties, racial profiling, privacy, and the perceived failure of the no-fly list created in the United States. In the United States, several anomalies’ referred to as â€Å"false positives† have risen.A â€Å"false positive† happens when an individual who is actually not on the no-fly list, has a name matching or similar to a name on the list. One notable case of a false positive includes a United States Marine in April of 2006, who was flying home from Iraq when he was prohibited from boarding his flight home, as his name matched one on the no-fly list. The lists, although very controversial both here in Canada and in the United States play an important role in establishing airport/airline safety and security, and ensuring an event such as the attacks on September 11, 2001 will not re-occur.Secondly, the way Security Personnel are trained and armed has b een drastically affected in the post 9/11 world. In the United States, immediately after the attacks for several weeks to months afterwards, fully armed guards, either Local Police or National Guard would patrol airports in full tactical gear wielding assault rifles or tactical shotguns. In Canada the response was similar, however not as fully extended as in the United States.In Canada today, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) which is thoroughly explained in the next topic, handles all screening procedures by hiring third party private security firms to conduct screening. Our general airport security providing safety is executed by local Police forces. The RCMP once used to handle all general airport security, now only handles a few airports including Edmonton International Airport. Edmonton International Airport has a detachment of the RCMP located on site to ensure a quick and proper response to emergencies, ecurity and policing needs. The Police members on sit e are trained in emergency preparedness in order to be able to respond to a wide range of situations, including terrorism attacks. In addition to human Police officers, many airports such as Edmonton’s, implement canine members for certain situations such as sniffing out drugs, weapons, people, and explosives. In Edmonton specifically, at the RCMP airport detachment, they have Badge, a German Sheppard trained in attacking criminals, searching for lost people or baggage, as well as the ability to sniff out 15 different explosives.As well as the main goal of airport security of keeping a safe and problem free environment, security also includes Emergency Response Services (ERS). Fire and medical services are always ready at a moment’s notice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for emergencies such as fires, aircraft mayday emergencies, and terrorist attacks. The Emergency Response Services are always highly trained and outfitted with top of the line vehicles and equipment to deal with any situation, and all have requirements and policies on stringent response times.An example of the preparedness by the ERS in Edmonton is their ability to make it from the fire hall located on site to the mid-point on the furthest runway in 3 minutes. Finally, as a direct result of the attacks of September 11, 2001 we seen the formation of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority or â€Å"CATSA,† in December 2001, introduced by then Finance Minister Paul Martin, which included a very comprehensive plan aimed at enhancing economic and personal security in Canada.In April of 2002 CATSA took over responsibility of passenger and employee screening, although they still hire private security companies to do much of the screening, CATSA still oversees training and equipment available. CATSA states their mission is â€Å"to protect the public by securing critical elements of the air transportation system†¦ † Their responsibilities can be grouped into four major areas; Pre-board screening, hold baggage screening, non-passenger screening, and Restricted Area Identity Cards.Pre-board screening is done by Private Security firms hired and governed by CATSA, their tasks include getting all carry-on items coming onto an aircraft to go through X-ray, individuals must then pass through metal detectors and physical searches can and will be executed if an alarm is raised either through the metal detector, or random selection. Full body scanners are also used to reveal weapons, objects or explosives hidden under or within clothing. CATSA also implements the use of Explosive Detection Trace (EDT) technology at security checkpoints; this involves a quick swabbing of carry-on items or hands to test for explosives.Hold-Baggage Screening (HBS) is another major area of CATSA, this is what happens to our baggage once it has been checked in and is on its way to be loaded onto the aircraft. This is the process of screening all checked baggage using a co mbination of state-of-the-art explosive detection technology, as well as highly trained security personnel. During HBS the density of baggage is tested as well as additional testing for trace amounts of chemicals. HBS is currently in full deployment in 89 airports across Canada since 2006, for all domestic and international flights.CATSA is responsible for the instillation, deployment and renovations of HBS systems as well as regulatory compliance monitoring. Another major area of CATSA is non-passenger screening (NPS), this is required by Transport Canada starting back in 2004 and involves the random screening of people who work at the airports, these people can include flight crews, airport crews, caterers, maintenance workers, and baggage handlers. This subjects employees to unpredictable security screenings at entry points within airport restricted areas, the screening process is similar to that of the passenger screening, and also includes an Identification check.CATSA states t hat they screen 2,500 employees a day out of the 100,000 employees who have access to secure areas in Canadian airports. They also state that this program is continually evolving, as the only constant is â€Å"the cooperation needed between screening officers and non-passengers. † The fourth noted area of CATSA is the Restricted Area Identity Card (RAIC) program, which is constantly advancing through the use of biometric scanners. The RAIC program uses state-of-the-art duel biometric scanner identification programs to ensure the identity of the personnel who have restricted access.The program includes cards with built-in microchips to store biometric information of fingerprint and iris scanner templates. The RAIC program has been fully functional since January 31, 2007 in over 28 major airports in Canada. It’s notable that the biometric technology used here is also utilized in non-passenger screening and these two programs work in conjunction with one another. CATSA al so jointly implements the Canadian Air Carrier Protective Program (CACPP) with Transport Canada; this program is similar to that of the U.S. Sky Marshall Program. This program strategically places highly trained, armed, undercover RCMP members, also known as In-Flight Security Officers (IFSOs), on Canadian registered commercial airliners. IFSOs mandate is to be able to successfully prevent the aircraft from being taken over by an unauthorized individual(s), as well as gather and interpret intelligence on terrorist and criminal activity within civil aviation. In conclusion, airport security in North America and the world will continue to grow and prosper.In the post 9/11 world today, policies and procedures will only grow tighter and more stringent in an effort to prevent terrorism. From no-fly lists created to prevent the wrong people from boarding passenger planes, to tighter and better trained local Police and Security personnel on the front lines preforming screening, security an d emergency response services. To government initiatives like the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority providing important and well-rounded security systems from x-ray scanners to In-Flight Security Officers, the airline industry has never been more stringent in counter terrorism.References Airport screening: 9/11 response. (n. d. ). In CBC News; the fifth estate. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www. cbc. ca/fifth/fastenseatbelts/security. html No fly list. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/No_Fly_List Passenger Protect. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Passenger_Protect Security Screening. (n. d. ). In Canadian air transport security authority. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www. atsa-acsta. gc. ca/Page. aspx? ID=7&pname=Screening_Controle&lang=en Canadian air carrier protective program. (n. d. ). In Transport Canada. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from ht tp://www. tc. gc. ca/eng/aviationsecurity/page-186. htm Gazette magazine – the canadian air carrier protective program . (n. d. ). In RCMP-GRC. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www. rcmp-grc. gc. ca/gazette/vol70n3/air-eng. htm Emergency response. (n. d. ). In Fly EIA. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www. flyeia. com/emergency_response. aspx

Fast Food Globalization

Fast Food Globalization Some people get confused when they hear the word, globalization. What is it? Globalization is a modern term used to describe the changes in societies and the world economy that result from dramatically increased international trade and cultural exchange. That means the world is slowly becoming one by producing goods and services in one part of the world, only to share it on an international level. This is a deeply controversial issue, however. Proponents of globalization argue that it allows poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and raise their standards of living. Whereas, opponents of globalization claim that the creation of a free international market has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the expense of local cultures and common people. Clearly, fast food is a representative of this globalization process. In this essay, I will discuss the globalization of fast food in other countries and the negative effects it has made on traditional diets, eating habits, and culture as a whole. A major challenge of doing business internationally is to adapt effectively to different cultures. Several fast food companies have shown the willingness to adapt to local customs. Some examples of how international fast food chains have attempted to accommodate local tastes include: the Teriyaki McBurger at a McDonald’s in Japan, consisting of a sausage patty in a bun with teriyaki sauce; a curry potato pie and a red bean ice cream sundae in Hong Kong; a broiled salmon sandwich at a Burger King in Chile; even a pizza from Pizza Hut was â€Å"delivered† to the International Space Station in 2001, a collaboration between the company and Russian scientists. But no matter where fast food restaurants are located or what type of food they sell, their most fundamental operating principle is standardization. This means selling the exact same food everywhere, limiting the number of food choices. For some people, it is comforting when there aren’t very many choices, knowing in advance what they will be eating and how it will taste. Ironically, there are some people who dislike fast food, yet a hungry person in a hurry or someone who is far away from home would often find it convenient. In 1921, the first business to be called a fast food restaurant was White Castle, located in Wichita, Kansas. It sold hamburgers for five cents each. The idea caught on and by the late 1930’s, a California restaurant called Bob’s introduced a hamburger with two patties of meat and named it the Big Boy. After World War II, the number of restaurants specializing in fast food grew tremendously. Therefore, each company needed a special feature to survive in the competitive marketplace. But how can one stand out from the rest when selling the same types of fast food? The innovators at White Castle developed a solution to this problem: aggressive advertising. By featuring commercials with cheerful music and catchy jingles on the radio or television, fast food companies were able to rely on their marketing strategies to convince consumers that their food offered the best taste and value money could buy. Changes in lifestyles and eating habits, such as the consumption of fast food and the dependence of food imports has led to the decline of traditional foods and cultures. With that being said, nutritional related chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and stroke are on the rise and accounts for more than fifty percent of the deaths in the region. Americans traditionally eat a mixture of some of the best and some of the worst foods you can find for breakfast. Among the worst: fatty sweets, like doughnuts and cinnamon rolls; salty meats, such as sausage and bacon; and eggs, whose yolks add more cholesterol to the average American’s diet than any other single food. Among the best: fresh fruit or juice; dairy foods that are low in fat, like yogurt and milk; and whole grains found in hot or cold cereals. The problem is that the food industry keeps tempting us with an abundance of less nutritious foods that cater to our fast paced lifestyles. For Americans, their biggest challenge is rushing to get dinner on the table, leading many people to rely on take-out, fast food or easy-to-fix convenience foods. Fast food is convenient because you get it fast, it fills you up and you don’t have to worry about sanitary issues. Globalization is primarily about speed and this is why the world has taken up American eating habits. People are so pressed for time that they resort to fast food. But because people are consuming more food these days, it theoretically, should take longer. As a result, poor eating habits means more eating disorders and health issues. This is a growing crisis and the only way to fix this, is to make it easier for people to eat healthier without having to take a lot of time worrying about it and actually doing it. After four decades, our obsession with fast, cheap food has transformed our towns and flooded the labor market with low-paying, dead-end jobs. Americans now spend more money on fast food than they do on higher education, personal computers, software or new cars. In fact, they spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos and recorded music – combined. These are just a few facts about the negative effect globalization has made on traditional culture here in America. Today, the only Americans who earn lower wages than fast-food workers are migrant farm workers. It now employs some of the poorest, most disadvantaged members of American society. Fast food companies often teach basic job skills to people who can barely read, whose lives have been chaotic or shut off from the mainstream. According to an article found in the Rolling Stones magazine, a survey of American schoolchildren found that ninety-six percent could identify Ronald McDonald. The only fictional character with a higher degree of recognition was Santa Claus. Its corporate symbol, the Golden Arches, is now more widely recognized than the Christian cross. It’s devastating to see how the impact of McDonald's on the nation's culture alone, has forced our economy and diet into a state of despair that it is in. I have discussed how the fast food industry has played a crucial role in the globalization process, as well as how it has affected the poor eating habits of traditional diets in America. The globalization of fast food has made such a negative impact on today’s society, that there is no denying what our future holds. Right now is the best time to make fast food less unhealthy and make healthier food more rapidly available. In conclusion, the world as we know it is heading towards a never-ending battle of complicated health issues and an onset of shortened life spans. I’m sure we can all agree that America loves value. But in the end, if you know it can cause obesity, it’s a pretty poor value. Not only are you going to end up with expensive health-care costs, but you’ll also end up earning less money. If we don’t take the proper precautions now, we could end up with all kinds of economic consequences on a worldwide scale. Works Cited Ancker, William P. â€Å"Fast Food and Globalization. † English Teaching Forum. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 11 Mar. 2008 . —. â€Å"Fast Food World: The Hamburger Comes of Age. † English Teaching Forum. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 11 Mar. 2008 . â€Å"The Best & Worst Breakfasts. † FindArticles. com. Nov. 1999. Nutritional Action Health letter. 11 Mar. 2008 . Schlosser, Eric. â€Å"Fast-Food Nation: The True Cost Of America's Diet. † Rolling Stones 3 Sept. 1998. 11 Mar. 2008 . Stein, Joel. â€Å"A New Fast-Food Invasion. † Time. com 29 Mar. 2007. 11 Mar. 2008 . Williams, David E. â€Å"A Nation’s Eating Habits. † CNN. com 8 Dec. 2006. Healthy Bodies. 11 Mar. 2008 .